President Obama Gives Pope Fruit and Vegetable Seeds

The president’s visit with Pope Francis included a gift exchange and an hour-long closed-door conversation.

World news

This content comes from Closed Captioning that was broadcast along with this program.

>>>overseas today, a historic meeting between pope
francis
and
president obama
. the two discussed a wide range of topics,
chuck todd
has more.

>> reporter: president obama
said his audience with pope
francis
contained a wide range of discussions, to
middle east
peace, and shared income and equality.

>>his holiness has the capacity to open people's eyes and make sure this is seen as an issue.

>> reporter: the pope arrived today, welcomed by
swiss guards
, a slow procession of dignitaries escorted mr. obama where the two sat
face to face
across his unassuming desk. joined by translators, later they retreated
behind closed doors
for nearly an hour. it was longer than scheduled and afterwards they exchanged gifts. the president gave the pope a custom-made chest, and the pope gave him a medal, symbolizing peace. the
white house
viewed this trip as a big domestic political play of the trip, a chance to associate the popular pope
francis
with the president's own economic agenda. the president said he and the pope did not talk a lot about the social issues that divide them, like contraception and
gay marriage
, but later in a meeting with vatican officials he did discuss the church's concern over the affordable
care act
contraception mandate.

>>we discussed briefly the issue of making sure that conscience and
religious freedom
was observed in the context of applying the law.

>> reporter: the president also made time today for a
private tour
of the
roman coliseum
, where the gladiators once did battle.